Two weeks ago I was able to check a major entry off my bucket list. I saw Alan Jackson in concert. He was appearing at a winery in Murphys. I had never heard of this place and was surprised that a big county star was appearing there. I bought the tickets in April after a prolonged debate with myself over what price tickets to buy. Then I thought, for heaven's sake, it's a one-time event and went for the best.
After I completed treatment last year my oncologist had suggested I take a vacation but I didn't feel like it. I was happy to be at home, just feeling good again. Earlier this year I thought about how I wanted to see Alan Jackson and decided to do it. Mecca Ann had suggested we take a trip somewhere so I asked her if she wanted to go with me and she agreed.
The day before the concert I drove to Fresno to pick her up and thankfully she took over the wheel for the rest of the trip. The three-hour drive to Arnold lead us through beautiful scenery along a mostly winding road. Though the landscape was breathtaking it felt like we weren't getting anywhere because after a while it all looked the same.
I saw an expansive bridge in the distance and said, "I see something coming up that I am not too happy about."
She asked, "The bridge?"
I said, "Yeah, are we going across that?"
"I think so."
As we got closer we stopped to take a picture of the bridge which was green, my favorite color. I stayed in the car and as she walked up the road I had a scary thought about her falling over the side of the road into the canyon. When she got back in the car she said, "I was thinking, what if I fell over the side?" I told her I had the same thought and we cracked up.
Some time had passed as I was taking in the vistas when I said, "I'm going to ask a dumb question but did we already go over the bridge?"
"Uh, yeah, we had to get across that water."
We arrived in Arnold where I had booked two nights accommodations. By the time I got around to booking a room there were no vacancies left in Murphys. Arnold is only another twelve miles up the road. When we checked in I asked the motel clerk where we could get something to eat and she told us about a restaurant directly across the street. We were advised that it closed at 9 PM. We found out that everything closes at nine in Arnold.
We had to be at the winery at five the next day. Once we were let in, there was an open bar and appetizers were served. The doors to the dining room opened to beautifully set tables. The room shimmered. We sat with a lively group and had a good time. I got a little buzz and started to sip water. I decided not to finish my dinner because I didn't want to take a chance that I might get sick. I sure didn't want to miss a minute of the concert.
Shooter Jennings was the opening act. I had heard of him but wasn't familiar with his music. He was great. The crowd was rowdy and there was a lot of drinking going on. Once Shooter finished, I was excited for Alan Jackson to come out and then I spotted a cowboy on a balcony at the side of the stage. "Is that him? Is that him?" I started waving as he came down the stairs but it was just a guy in a cowboy hat.
Finally Alan Jackson came out and I started jumping up and down, waving and screaming. He was so good. He sang most of his hits. He told stories and tossed guitar picks out to the audience. He is really gorgeous. I was staring at him so intently I told Mecca Ann I couldn't believe he didn't sense it. His performance lasted for an hour and a half. I was so thrilled. I hated for it to end.
It was a great trip and we plan on taking another soon.
I just thought of something to add to my bucket list. See Alan Jackson again.
